Film-camera.



F. M. STEADMAN & H. W. HALES.

FILM CAMERA. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 31, 1911.

a SHEETSSHEET 1.

AITORIVEXS Patented July 16, 1 912.

F. M. STBADMAN & H. W., HALES.

FILM CAMERA. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 31, 1911.

. 1 32,867, Patented July 16,- 1912.

I s SHEETS-SHEET 2. .31- .S Y

1 l 1 l i I I I I ---v+ WITNESSES l/VI/E/VTQRS,

- ATTORNEYS F. M. STEADMAN & H. W. HALES.

FILM CAMERA.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 31, 1911,

1,032,867. Patented July 16, 1912.

v 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Q Q xh ATTORNEYS UNITED srAtrEsrATEnT onn on FRANK m. mam Am) HENRY w. HALES, ornmenwoon; new J'EBSEY.

FILM-CALIBER.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1912.

Application filed August s1,1e11, Serial No. 6 46, 977.

Iocll whom it may concern:

Be it known'that-we, FRANKM. S'rn n- I MAN and HENRY W. Ham's, both citizens of I that is the size for which it is 'builtor made.

" The main object of this invention is to allow not only pictures of different sizes to be taken on the same roll of film at the will of the operator, but to economize on the cost of operation by securing more exposures from the same roll offilm, or if the usual'numher, then of a greater length than originally intended.

It is generally known that the ordinary film roll contains blank unexposed portions of film at each end and in the divisions between the individual pictures which portions are always wasted.

A further object of our invention is to overcome this wastage of sensitized surface space, by providing greater facility for accurately observing and controlling the transfer'of the film after exposure. w

A further object of our invention is to provide an extended non-actinie viewing window at the back of the camera to enable invention imposes no restriction on the op;

the operator to easily determine the position of the division numbers printed on the back of the film paper and to follow them over the entire width of the camera back, thus enabling the operator to stop the number at.

any desired point with certainty and precision whether a large or-a small portion of film be used. I

Owing to the small size ofthe non-actinic viewing windows now in use, the number onthe film backing is frequently run by the window causing an overlapping of the pictures and a curtailment of their areas; Our

orator as to the regularity of the exposure numbers on the film backing but allows the making ofsmall, medium or large size pictures romiscuously at will.

"A rther object of. our invention is to provide means whereby 'afract-ional part of the exposure space of each part of each film may be utilized withqthe optical axis centrally disposedwith reference to the space. We attain the above determined objects.

by positioning an adjustable shutter or.

screen in front of-the film to vary the amount of film exposed. Further, we provide means for adjusting the position of the lens with reference to the exposed portion of the film.

Reference is to be had to theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which A Figure 1 is a plan view looking down upon the up er surface of a film camera, showing a pre erred embodiment of our invention forming part thereof; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the camera shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3

is an enlargedrear elevation of the upper 7 portion of the camera Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig.

3 looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig.

.5 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 5 -5 of Fig. i looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 6 is a, vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig.3 and looking in the direction ofthe arrow; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the central sight indicator secured to the top of the lens front; and Fig. 8 is an elevation of the exposure portion V of the film, the dotted lines showing how this exposure portion maybe subdivided into three equal parts a, b and c.

Described more in detail, we have shown a form of filmcamera comprising a casing A, and a folding front and base B, on opposite longitudinal sides of which are the spool cases C and D (Fig. l), between which spool cases is adapted to be telescoped the bellows E, attached to the camera front or lens carriage F. As is usual with dev1ces of this character it is possible to move the lens vertically in its front'F or to-move the same from right to left, or vice versa, on the track G. By means of this disposition of the lens withcreference to the film he'reinaft er described it is possible to vary the location of the optic axis.

Mounted in the spool cases C and D (Fig. 4) are'spools H and J1 upon which is wound the usual form of film K passing over guid in g rollers L and M disposed on opposite sides of the exposure opening N, vbetween end of the curtain 1 is aftixed to thesleeve,

the free end of which. passes over a roller 3 through a slot 4 in the inner wall of the casing D and terminates in an edge drawing rod 5, preferably of metal, which drawing rod passes through a slot 6 on top of the casing A, the end of which rod forms an indicating pointer 7 on the outside of the camera casing A (Figs, and 6).

In order to prevent the infiltration of light through the slot 6 (Fig. 6), one edge of said slot is recessed to form a pocket 8 and the drawing rod 5 is bent into a U 9 to fit within said pocket terminating in the pointer 7. The transverse plate 10 is rigidly mounted in the camera case and extends into the U-shaped groove 9, acting as a light cutoif. I

The' edge of the exposure opening N opposite the side in which the curtain is dis pos ed is marked on the outside of the casing by means of a stationary pointer 11, so that the distance between the pointers 7* and 11 will indicate the width of the exposure" opening N, which distance maybe indicated on a conventional form of scale 100 disposed on the top of the camera casing and adjacent to one side of the slot 6.

To draw the curtain 1 across the exposure opening N there is attached to the upper and lower portions of the-drawing rod 5 in line with the upper and lower edgesjof the exposure opening N, one end of a cord 12,

the opposite end of which is wound about a spindle 13 journaled in the case C and disposed parallel to the spool H. The upper end of the spindle 13 passes through the upper surface of the camera casing A and terminates in a milled head 14 by means of which the spindle 13 is rotated to wrap thereon the cord 12, to draw said curtain across the opening.

' ed position by means of a'ratchet and pinion connection disposed on top ofjthe camera casing. This connection consists of a ratchet 15 rigidly mounted on the. spindle 13, which ratchetis engaged by a pawl 16 maintained in spring-pressed engagement with the ratchet 15 by means ofa spring 17 (see Figs. 1 and To maintain the curtain under tension, there, is disposed within the sleeve 2 a coil spring 18, the lower end of which is aifixed to the sleeve, the upper of said spring being ried by maintained in engagement with the ratchet,

by means of the spring 2 1. By this construction, should the spring lose its resiliency, it may be tightened up 'to maintain any desired tension upon the shutter 1 (Fig. '1).

In order to trace the course of the exposure portions of the film across the exposure opening, the back of the camera has therein an elongated opening or window 25 extending the full length of the exposure opening N and a slight distance beyond in both directions. By this means the numbers or other characters designating the exposure areas on the backing of the film, may be ex: actly located with reference to the exposure opening. This opening or window 25 is preferably covered by ruby glass 26 or other non-actinic material. it is possible to'move the curtain to and fro by the thumb and a finger of one hand, the tension sleeve (Fig. 5) taking up the slack at all times.

To facilitate the measuring of the ex posure portions of the film, a scale 28 is marked off on the back of the camera or adjacentthe opening 25. In order-to 10- cats the optical axis a sight 27 is disposed on top of the lens front F so that when the curtain is in tightened position, as, for instance, with the space from 2 to 4 2 exposed,"

By this construct-ion field which would be taken on the exposed portion of the film.

Having thus described our invention, we

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a film camera havingan exposure 1 opening, means adapted to vary the extent v The spindle 13 is main-tained'in its adjustv of said opening, said camera having a slot in alinementwith said means and having a pocket opening into said slot, a member projecting into said pocket from the opposite side of said slot from said pocket to form a light-tight opening, and arod carsaid'means extending through said opening.

2. A camera having a slot in the top thereof extending parallel to the plane of the exposure opening, said top having a scale adjacent said slot, a shutter within the camera movable parallel to said slot, to vary the efiective extent of said exposure opening, and a rigid drawing rod forming the forward edge of said shutter and extending through said slot, afl'ording means to indicate on said scale the eflective extent of said opening.

3. A camera having a slot in the top thereof extending parallel to the plane of the exposure opening, said top having a scale adjacent said slot, a shutter within the. camera movable parallel to said slot, to vary the efiect-ive extent of said exposure opening, a rigid drawing rod forming the forward edge of said shutter and extending through said slot, aflording means to indicate on said scale the efiective extent of said opening, and means. within said slot preventing the infiltration of light therethrough. N

4. A camera having an'exposure opening, a stationary rear sight, carried above the camera and in line with one side of said opening, an opaque shutter movable from the side of the camera opposite said stationary sight, to vary the efl'ective extent of the exposure opening, and a rigid rod forming the forward edge of said shutter, projecting from said camera, to form a movable rear sight, the distance between said sights indicating the effective extent of the exposure opening.

5. A camera and a lens carriage, a stationary rear sight above the camera and in line with one side of said opening, an opaque shutter movable from the side of the camera opposite said stationary sight, to vary the effective extent I of the exposure opening, a rigid rod forming the forward edge of said'shutter, pro-- jecting from said camera, to form a movable having an exposure opening rear sight, and a front sight carried by the lens carriage above the optical axis, said front and rear sights afiording means for marking out the objective field.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. v p

' FRANK M. STEADMAN.

HENRY W. HALES. Witnesses:

ALFRE H. DAvis, PHILIP D. RoLLHAUs. 

